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Showing posts with label Historical Building. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historical Building. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Former Hokkaido Government Building (北海道庁旧本庁舎〈赤れんが庁舎〉)| Double Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom | Sapporo

The Former Hokkaido Government Building (北海道庁旧本庁舎), nicked Akarenga or "redbrick", was constructed in the Neo-Baroque style in 1880, and designated as National Inportant Cultural Asset in 1969. It  is one of the great examples of Meiji architecture! The Hokkaido Archives inside are open to public now.

Look at this↓ The leafy forecourt is an oasis for visitors including me.

Double cherry blossoms (八重桜) are now in full bloom! Beautiful, aren't they?

It blooms one week later , and the petal color is deeper pink than Yoshino cherry blossoms (ソメイヨシノ), a typical Japanese cherry blossoms.

Usually some artists are painting pictures along these ponds here! I love this soothing atmosphere!!

It is near JR/Subway Sapporo Station and Subway Odori Station. 

Please fully enjoy the historical building and beautiful flowers together!!

■Where is the "Former Hokkaido Government Building (北海道庁旧本庁舎〈赤れんが庁舎〉)"?

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?
I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Monday, May 07, 2012

Nakajima Park (中島公園)| Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom | Sapporo

Located in downtown Sapporo, Nakajima Park (中島公園) is a large area of greenery and water with a mumber of wonderful attractions and cultural facilities.

Cherry blossoms here are now in full bloom! Beautiful, aren't they??

Let's walk through the park and I'll show you the main attractions here!

Syobu Pond (菖蒲池) is at the northern part of the park.

Usually couples are rowing a boat like this!

There are several monuments created by famous artists in the park. This is "Growing Children (のびゆく子等)" made by Kenjyu Ono (小野 健寿).

Constructed in 1880, Hoheikan (豊平館) used to be a guest house, hotel and event venue for officials and celebrities including the Emperors and the Imperial family members, and now works as a wedding venue and restarant. This historical building was designated as the national Important Cultural Property in 1964.
(* It is been renovated now.)

In front of Hoheikan (豊平館), there is "Kitara", a concert hall.

This is "The Echoes (相響)", my favorite monument created by Kan Yasuda (安田 侃), a worldwide artist who is from Bibai, Hokkaido. Actually I'm a member of Arte Piazza Bibai, a sculpture park in his home town, showing about 40 his works as permanent exhibitions.

The Echoes consists of three works; one is outside of the concert hall, and the others are inside of the facility. Usually kids are playing around it like this↓

Let's continue to walk through the park!

This is the Hokkaido Museum of  Literature (北海道立文学館).

At the edge of the park,

there are two shinto shrines. This is Iyahiko Shirine (伊夜日子神社), constructed in 1920.

Let's return to Subway Nakajima Koen Station (中島公園駅)!
As it was a little bit windy, we could see cherry blossoms falling in the wind! How romantic the situation is!!

Cherry trees are planted along Kamokamo River(鴨々川). I'm sure now is one of the most recommendable seasons to visit this park!

The park has the Sapporo Astronomical Observatory(札幌市天文台), too!

Last but not least, this park also has a Japanese garden(中島公園日本庭園). I sometimes come here with something to eat and drink, and relax for a while!

Looks perfest, doesn't it?

Please walk along the pond so that you can enjoy every angle of it!!

If you find a tall lady looking at the pond, while drinking tea, she may be me!!! Hahaha!

This is Hasso-an (八窓庵), a tea house, one of the most historical Japanese-styled buildings in Sapporo. It was designated as a national Important Cultural Property in 1950.

This tea house was designed by Enshu Kobori (小堀 遠州), a very famous tea ceremony master in the 17th century.

If you want to know this tea house more, there are brochures by the tea house!

The small waterfall always makes me very unstrained!

Just for reference, cherry blossoms along a parking lot of Sapporo Park Hotel (札幌パークホテル) next to Nakajima Park are also beautiful!!!

These cherry blossoms bloom one week later than ones in the park!

I love this deep pink color!

Wonderful, aren't they?

Please visit this "secret" cherry blossom site, too!!

■Where is "Nakajima Park (中島公園)"?

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?
I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Sarashina Shokudou (更科食堂)| Soba Restaurant | Mikasa

Mikasa is a small city, which was flourished in the coal mining industry in the 19th to 20th industry. The city still has a lot of historical buildings which was built at its peak, and recently renovated as other facilities such as restaurants.
Today I'll show you "Sarashina Shokudou (更科食堂)", a very popular soba restaurant with 86-year history in this city.

Let's enter it!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Immediate after we entered the restaurant, we could feel the 20th-century atmosphere!!! The poster, menu boards, tables are very retro-flavored!!!

Look at the clock and stove in the good old days! It was the first time to see these types for 20 years or so............

We were also surprised at the menu! How cheap all of them are!!!!

First, we ordered this hot udon. Why??? This container is very quaint!!! Are you ready??

Voila!
See? It is very nostalgic!! 

The udon noodles themselves are very elastic and chewy, and super delicious♪

When we come here, we should order this soba!!!

This is a typical sarashina soba, a high quality soba for which only white part of buckwheat is used.

The noodles are very whitish and tasty!!

Last but not least, we enjoyed sobayu or water left in the pot after soba is boiled. Yummy x 2!!

I really recommend this cozy, nostalgic restaurant!

■Where is "Sarashina Shokudou (更科食堂)"?

View Larger Map


■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?
I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Sumitomo Ponbetsu Coal Mine (住友奔別炭坑)| Largest Shaft in Asia | Mikasa

Ikusyunbetsu (幾春別) in Mikasa had once flourished in the coal mining industry. In 1880, this coal mine was found by the government, and developed by the private sector.

This shaft was constructed in 1960. It is 51m high and 750m deep, the largest shaft in Asia at that time. Actually we cannot tell Hokkaido history without coal mining. There were more than 100 coal mines in Hokkaido at its best!

It was said that this shaft could be used for 100 years, but closed in 1971 partly due to cheaper imported coal.

This is a coal dressing building. Please imagine how huge the coal industry was in the 19th to 20th century!

At the entrance of the "Sumitomo Ponbetsu Coal Mine (住友奔別炭坑)", we can learn their history with the board.

Houses for miners still remain near this site,

Near the coal mine, there is a small shinto shrine named "Ikusyunbetu Shrine (幾春別神社)". Let's go upstairs!

This is a main hall.

I can imagine a lot of people came here to pray for their prosperity at that time!

The area itself is like an outdoor museum for me!

I really enjoyed the history of Hokkaido today!

■Where is "Sumitomo Ponbetsu Coal Mine (住友奔別炭坑)"?

View Larger Map


■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?
I'll guide you! Plz click here!